On October 31, 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its CY 2015 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule. The rule included several important changes as it relates to telehealth services. With respect to reimbursement rates, in the final rule CMS increased Medicare payments to telehealth originating sites by 0.8 percent.
In addition, the final rule provides seven new procedure codes that cover the following telehealth services:
- Psychotherapy services (CPT codes 90845, 90846, and 90847);
- Prolonged services in the office (CPT codes 99354 and 99355); and
- Annual wellness visits (HCPCS codes G0438 and G0239).
For billing purposes, the originating site fee will be $24.83. CMS also introduced new CPT code 99490, which allows physicians to bill Medicare for chronic care management. The monthly, unadjusted, non-facility fee will be $42.60. Most importantly, CPT 99490 is considered a physician service and is, therefore, available nationwide and not restricted to rural-only telehealth.
Although these changes in the final rule have been received by many telehealth advocates and providers as welcomed developments, CMS did not eliminate the requirement for patients to be located in a rural area in order to receive telehealth services, despite suggestions from many commenters in response to the 2015 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule to expand the reach of telehealth.
If you or your healthcare entity have any questions regarding telehealth or implications of the final rule on your telehealth practice, or are interested in introducing telehealth into your practice, please contact an experienced healthcare attorney by phone at 248-544-0888 or via email at wapc@wachler.com. Wachler & Associates will continue to keep you updated on telehealth developments, as well as other healthcare news. If you are interested, please subscribe to Wachler & Associates’ health law blog by adding your email address and clicking “Subscribe” in the window on the top right of this page.